The EU is Right – Our Government is Wrong

Ed – This article was first published by the Campaign for an Independent Britain and that we re-publish it here with kind permission.

Shock horror! Can a Brexit supporter honestly utter such a phrase as the above?

Sadly, yes, especially when the subjects include cooperation in security and criminal justice matters. These two issues powerfully illustrate the illusory nature of our government’s approach to Brexit. It still wants to have its cake and eat it. Reality is dawning that this isn’t possible on the trade front, but somehow that reality has not spread to other areas where some sort of future cooperation is needed. Be it trade, criminal justice or military cooperation, the EU is concerned at all costs to preserve its integrity. In voting to leave, we dealt it a massive blow. Obviously, it recognises that some form of cooperation will be necessary, but it does not seek a warm and cosy “deep and special” relationship with us. Yes, we were once part of the club, but we won’t be after March 29th next year. We made the decision to leave and we must accept the consequences.

To any Brexit supporter, this is perfect common sense. We knew what we were doing when we voted Brexit. Among the many issues which we highlighted as a reason to leave the EU were concerns about the flaws of the criminal justice system in some EU member states and the need to disentangle ourselves from the EU’s military and security aspirations.

So yes, if the EU says we cannot participate in its flawed European Arrest Warrant scheme after Brexit, great! That’s what we voted for. Likewise, the EU’s disdain for Mrs May’s “ambitious future security partnership” with the EU won’t cause many Brexit supporters much lost sleep. As a Third Country, we would no longer participate in several EU security databases which hold intelligence and help track criminals. However, there are other means of cooperation over these matters. We have Interpol as well as Europol. The procedure may be more complex but at least UK citizens will be one step further removed from the EU’s interference with our daily lives. We don’t want the EU to give us special treatment. What is more, is Europol reliable? One report suggests that its statistics distort the truth about terrorist threats in the EU, with more emphasis being placed on monitoring so-called “separatists” than those who pose the biggest threat to ordinary people.

On a different note, we heard recently that Olly Robbins, who has more or less pushed David Davis into the sidelines and has become the de facto chief negotiator, has been told by the EU that there is no chance of a bespoke trade deal with the EU. It will either be a very loose trading arrangement or what has been described as a “Norway-type deal”. There are strong opponents of both these options and even among her cabinet, Mrs May will have her work cut out to square the circle.

She has not, however, signed a letter promising a second referendum, Two separate copies have been sent to me, one by a very concerned Brexit supporter who feared Mrs May was about to cave into the remainiacs. If anyone has come across this spoof letter, try to find an example of the PM’s real signature. You will then see that it does not match the signature on this letter.

Observant readers may have noticed that we have said little about the latest EU council meeting. This is not because we were unaware of it but rather because it has been a foregone conclusion that nothing was going to be said to indicate any progress with the Brexit talks. We did pass a milestone last week when the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill became law. It paves the way for the 1972 Accession Treaty to be repealed when we leave the EU in March next year, but as far as what our future relationship with the EU is going to look like, we are still none the wiser.

6 Comments

Malcolm
on July 6, 2018 at 4:15 pm

It is high time that the EU came up with a plan from the position of accepting we are leaving . It is no use them coming back saying we want you to stay . They must say under what terms they wish to trade with us . I have yet to hear any suggestions at all from them ,so government please ask them to come up with THEIR plan . Fat chance .

Exactly. The mischief being conducted the British Government alone. Only a clean Brexit under WTO rules will break the impasse.
The Tory Party falsified our entry into the Common Market at the behest of their corporate sponsors and now their corpororate sponsors are demanding a fudge on our departure.
Write to your MPs and demand exit on WTO rules !

Even if May gets the agreement of the cabinet today she’ll have to get the agreement past Parliament, although with that place and the other place loaded with Remainers, that might not be so difficult. However, the EU has already said ‘NON’ to everything she has suggested so I think today’s meeting is a waste of time.

The only thing I would say about my surname is that it’s not mine. It was given to me by my husband when we married. But I’m very proud of it. It’s a Huguenot name and in case your French history is not so hot, the Huguenots were French Protestants who were persecuted for their faith in the 16th and 17th centuries and driven out of their home country. Many of them chose to settle in the UK.

That they had to leave Continental Europe sounds like a great idea, even in this day and age!